Something More
by Kavi Leighanna
Summary: After giving Jack a good Christmas, Emily and Hotch turn to focus on what's between them. HP. Sequel to His Christmas Wish.
1. December 26, 2009

**_So, by popular demand, here is the sequel to His Christmas Wish. Unfortunately, you will have to read all 25 chapters of that one to really make sense of this, I think. _**

--

December 26, 2009

Emily blinked open sleepy eyes cocooned in warmth. Between the blankets and the body she could feel behind her, she was toasty and comfortable. She grinned as she cuddled back tighter. This could be all hers.

This, being Aaron Hotchner and his son.

Christmas had been eventful in the Hotchner home and Emily knew Aaron would credit her completely with the transformation they'd both gone through. She'd fought tooth and nail to keep him out of melancholy and grief and, somehow, she'd managed to at least make him surface for a few days. They'd had their rocky patches, but Emily knew both Jack and Aaron had ended up having a good Christmas.

Jack had told her so as she said goodnight. He'd also completely and absolutely stunned her.

FLASHBACK

_After an eventful day of opening gifts and playing with new presents – or, in the case of both Emily and Aaron, admiring them – as well as an eventful afternoon of cookie making that had probably done more damage to the kitchen than any of the adults realized, Jack cuddled between his father and Emily as Aaron read __The Night Before Christmas__. Emily's fingers were running through Jack's hair soothingly as his head rested on the pillow, listening with rapt attention to his father. _

"_He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight," Aaron read softly._

_Then Jack piped up, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."_

_Both Emily and Aaron chuckled as Jack grinned proudly. _

_Aaron kissed his son's head. "That's right, Buddy. And it's time for good nights for little boys."_

_Aaron climbed off of the bed as Jack climbed up on his knees and turned to Emily, throwing himself at her. Emily let out a grunt as he impacted with her body, but wrapped her arms around the little boy. He pulled back with a huge grin on his face, and Emily rubbed her nose against his. "Goodnight, Mister Jack."_

_He giggled. "Night night," he replied, nestling his head in her neck and hugging her as tightly as his little body would allow. _

_Then came the words that literally stopped her heart._

"_Love you."_

_Emily felt tears flood her eyes faster than she could stop them as she looked up to the shocked and emotional face of his father. She was so completely touched by the words. "I love you too, honey," she whispered, hugging him just a little bit tighter. _

_Then Jack scrambled off the bed and father and son headed for his bedroom. Aaron watched his son scramble into his bed, tucking the covers tightly around his chin and making sure his dinosaur was within arm's reach. _

"_Did you have a good Christmas?" he asked the little boy, sitting on the edge of his bed. _

_Jack nodded vigorously. "I liked that Em'ly was here," he said. _

"_I did too," Aaron agreed._

"_Did you have a good Christmas, Daddy?"_

"_I did," he answered. "Because I had you here to celebrate it with."_

"_And Em'ly."_

_Aaron chuckled. His son was head over heels, though he couldn't really fault the five-year-old. He was well on his way there and had been long before Haley had been killed. He just wanted to make sure he could give Emily everything she deserved before he made any sort of declaration or commitment. He wasn't in that place yet. _

"_Yes, sir. And Emily." Then he kissed his son's head. "Good night, Jack. I love you."_

_Jack's little innocent eyes locked on his father's. "I love you too, Daddy."_

_Aaron felt tears come to his eyes as he kissed his son's head. He just looked down at Jack for a few moments, unsure of what to do or say. He couldn't put into words how much those words had meant to him. "That was the best Christmas present."_

"_Better than Em'ly's picture?"_

"_Much better," the father replied in a choked voice. _

END FLASHBACK

Her smile grew as she felt Aaron shift behind her, his hand starting to move slowly on her stomach. "Good morning," she murmured.

"Good morning," he mimicked, his voice low.

Emily let herself shiver at that voice, something she hadn't allowed herself to do for fear of letting him in on how much he affected her. She turned to face him, her finger tracing his cheek, unable to stop herself. "You came back a little emotional last night," she said quietly. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is… I think I can actually say fantastic," he replied, a smile drifting across his face.

Her smile was wider. She'd been so concerned that there was something wrong with her boys, that Jack had inadvertently said something that set his father off. "What happened?"

Aaron felt the emotion come rushing back to him. "Jack told me he loved me."

Emily felt her own tears flood her vision. "Did you ever doubt it?"

"Yes," he admitted.

"There's still a part of you that thinks Haley's death is your fault," she said quietly, her fingers trailing over the back of his neck. Her eyes, however, were serious and he sighed.

"If I had just taken the deal, Haley would still be alive."

"There's no guarantee of that," she answered. "You don't know that. And Shaunessy was tortured to his death because he made a deal with Foyet."

"I don't want to talk about Foyet," he murmured against her mouth before kissing her, reveling in the fact that he could. Part of him was still floored that she wanted him, a broken man tortured by the death of his ex-wife.

Emily kissed him back for a moment before pulling back and craning her neck to see the alarm clock. "Jack should be up."

He followed her gaze. "He's probably been up a while. A few more minutes won't change anything." Plus, the door was unlocked, if closed, and Jack was old enough to open the door if he wanted.

Her eyes fell closed again as she cuddled back into him. Things were different now, smoother. She felt less like she had to hide from him and it was an odd thrill. She could kiss him, hug him, touch him and she didn't have to maintain an air of professionalism or platonic friendship. She knew that they had milestones to cover in creating something solid between them, especially on the romantic side, but seeing him in the last couple of days gave her faith that in time the pain of losing Haley would fade. The guilt would fade too and though she knew he'd never completely believe he wasn't responsible for Haley's death, she also knew that it too would become less.

Jack poked his head into the room then, and Emily grinned up at Aaron.

"Daddy, can we have waffles for breakfast?"

* * *

_**So, first off, this would not work for me. It was like the 23rd where I literally could not get a handle on what I wanted to do. On the bright side, today's chapter should come faster and yes, should be up today. That one's been floating around in my head for weeks.**_

_**There is a story behind this chapter. I had originally wanted Jack to say to Hotch 'I love you' in His Christmas Wish, but then it completely slipped my mind with the whole kiss! So that's why it's in a flashback here. Which actually worked in my favour since I wasn't sure what to do with this. See, the 26th is Boxing Day in Canada, technically, so usually there isn't much open. So I went by that here and thus was SEVERELY limited, which would be the main reason why this took me almost three days to write.**_

_**I am very much open to ideas over the next six (five?) days. The new years eve is planned, but I may be able to break it up into 2 chapters, one for the day and one for the midnight party part. **_

_**Let me know if you want to see more where this came from! According to my mini (and changeable) plan, there's a team get-together tomorrow!**_


	2. December 27, 2009

December 27, 2009

--

"There you are!"

Aaron smiled as JJ approached, leaving Will with Henry in his stroller. He returned her hug once again reflecting on how lucky he was. Though they'd been through a lot in the last two years, his team was closer than ever and he'd never taken the moment to actually reflect on that fact. He shook Will's hand, then Dave's, Derek's and Reid's before submitting to a Penelope Garcia hug. He felt at home with these people, people who he realized had supported him blatantly and subtly as he battled not only with Foyet, but now with Haley's death. He was struck with the fact that these were people who would do anything for him, whom he unconditionally trusted with his life.

He almost chuckled to himself then. Apparently, his Christmas season had made him much more reflective than he'd originally anticipated. Or maybe it was Haley's death and Emily's insistence that he wasn't alone in the world, that he had a family, even if they weren't blood related and more than a little unconventional.

He felt Emily stroke a hand down his arm and realized he'd gotten lost in his thoughts. The team was already heading into the arena. Penelope had called Emily that morning, telling them that their presence, along with the young Mister Hotchner, were required at a skating rink for some quality family time. He squeezed her hand briefly when it met his before they both started into the rink. Jack took one hand of each of them, swinging them as he walked.

There was peace in him today. He knew it wasn't necessarily going to last, and this was by no means something that said he was 'healed' by any stretch of the imagination, but he was still flying high from Christmas Day, from having his son tell him he loved his Daddy and from Emily's decision that he wasn't broken enough for them to see if a relationship could happen.

Between renting, tying and preparing small children, it took them a half an hour to get on the ice. Aaron and Emily pulled Jack along between them. It really was a family skate, all of them switching skating companions periodically as the fancy hit. Emily did a few laps with JJ and Henry while Aaron and Will worked to teach Jack to skate. She did laps with Derek, laughing, joking and goofing around, and she and Penelope linked arms and skated, chatting animatedly about whatever struck them.

It was a while later that Emily caught up to Aaron, JJ, Will, Jack and Henry. Jack skated between JJ and Will, his hands on Henry's seat, pushing with the help of the baby's parents. Aaron skated beside them, his eyes fixed on Jack, though he was participating in the conversation with Will and JJ. She slowed down, catching up with them.

Finally, it was JJ that said, "You guys go do a couple of laps." She looked up at Aaron. "You shouldn't have to slow down for us."

"JJ, it's fine," Aaron insisted, even as his heart jumped at the prospect of a few semi-private laps with Emily.

"It's okay, Hotch," JJ encouraged with a smile, her gaze shooting to Jack for a moment. "He'll be fine for a few minutes."

"I'm pushing Henry, Daddy!"

"See?" JJ said. "Skate a few laps. In fact, take Emily with you. She's hovering again."

"Am not," Emily argued, even as her face heated. Even Will laughed.

"Go on," JJ cajoled. "Jack's fine and he'll always be in your line of sight."

Hotch sighed, aware JJ was right and took Emily's hand, pushing off the ice to get a little bit ahead of JJ, Will and the boys.

She blushed as they started off around the rink, easily keeping up with him as they left Jack with JJ, Will and Henry. He appreciated the time with just Emily. With the way their Christmas day had worked out, the only thing they'd been able to really share was moments before they fell asleep. Hotch was still apprehensive about leaving Jack, especially in public where he knew there were other predators that could take his son, and Emily understood that. She didn't begrudge him for it, but she was glad for the time.

"Jack's good with Henry," he said quietly after a lap and a half. They'd passed Derek and Penelope, happily skating side by side and Reid sitting with Dave on the sidelines, neither of them really skating people.

Emily glanced over, watching Will 'help' Jack push the baby boy along. "I wouldn't expect any less," she replied, watching Jack laugh heartily, loudly and freely. God, she loved that little boy.

Aaron pulled her a little bit closer as they made their next lap, recognizing that this was the closest thing they were going to have to time for themselves and a night out for a while. With his discomfort about leaving Jack, he realized that he had inadvertently put limits on how his relationship with Emily would play out. He wanted to keep Jack close at all times. Intellectually, he recognized that that was probably a bit excessive, but he'd lost Jack for too long as it was and he really didn't want to feel like he was losing any more time.

_Not that Emily __isn't important_, he thought to himself as he swung himself around in front of her. He picked up her other hand. He skated backwards, pulling her along.

Emily smiled. "What are you going to do when you run into someone and tumble to the ice?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Nevertheless, she let him pull her along.

"Take you down with me," he replied with a smile tilting his lips.

"That's so nice of you," she replied with a wrinkle in her nose, even as she squeezed his hands. It was nice to see him comfortable and a little more at ease than he had been, even only moments before.

He shrugged, his heart picking up speed as he said, "This is the most beautiful view in the house."

"I'm still not going to help you up when you fall," Emily replied, even as her face heated at the compliment. For someone who said he was a broken shell of a man, he certainly seemed to know how to make her feel special at the drop of a hat. They skated a few more laps in comfortable silence, Aaron switching back to skating beside her. They kept sneaking glances at each other as they skated along and Emily could tell that there was something on his mind. Eventually, she pulled him off to the side of the rink.

"What is it?" she asked, standing in front of him, oblivious to the others circling on the ice.

He looked down, focusing on her skates. "This is the closest thing to a date you're going to get for a while," he said quietly.

She shrugged. "So?"

There was a few beats. Then, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Where is this coming from?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Aaron's head came up, though he focused on a spot just over her shoulder. He couldn't look her in the eye and see the realization there. "I'm not comfortable leaving Jack," he began. "You… You're not going to get wined and dined, Emily. The best I can give you is home cooked meals at my apartment." _Or yours_, his mind added.

"I told you that was okay with me," she replied. "I'm not much for going out. With the time we spend on the road, I prefer to stay in when we're actually at home."

He blew out an exasperated breath. "You're missing my point."

Emily bit her cheek, a new thought washing over her. What if he'd changed his mind? What if he'd discovered that he couldn't even give her the shell of a man? What if he realized that Haley was going to be his only love and there was no use pretending for someone else? "Oh," she said quietly, looking away. "Um… Okay."

Aaron's brow wrinkled as she slid back from him, her eyes downcast. That had definitely not been the answer he'd been anticipating in the slightest. "Emily?"

"I get it," she said and he could hear a vulnerability and hurt in her voice that scared him. He tightened his hands on hers in reflex, not wanting her to get too far away. It would be awkward to have to chase her across ice.

Then it hit him. "No," he said, shaking his head and taking advantage of the fact that she was on skates to pull her back towards him. "I just…" He paused. "I want you to be sure. Because this is definitely not going to be easy, sweetheart. For one thing, you're getting a five-year-old in this deal and…" He took a deep breath. "I'm so afraid of hurting you." It was a harder admission than he'd anticipated considering he'd cried more than once with her in his presence.

"I'm sure," she responded without having to think. She'd thought about it long and hard so often that with the opportunity in front of her, she knew she'd be an idiot to pass it up. "Remember, this isn't anything heavy or permanent, Aaron. We're testing the waters here." She refrained from even allowing herself to think about the fact that she hoped it would lead to something permanent. That would take time and she was willing to be patient for him. "And Jack is a blessing, not a burden." She waited a beat. "I'm more than sure."

Aaron felt his heart jump. "We're not going to get a lot of privacy," he told her.

"We don't need privacy," she pointed out. "At least, not for a while. I'm in no hurry, Aaron." She tilted her head. "Now get out of your thoughts and come skating with me. You've dealt with enough heavy, it's time for some fun."

He willingly followed her back into the throng of people wondering what he'd done in his life to deserve a woman like the one skating next to him.

* * *

_**I'm not totally sure if I like this chapter or not. I mean, granted, Em and Hotch needed to have a conversation like that, but I'm still not sure I'm satisfied with the way it turned out.**_

_**And I'm still pretty much 2 days behind. I keep getting screwed up by something but my entire family is aware that I am to be left alone tomorrow so I should be able to get the 2 necessary chapters pumped out tomorrow. I think at least part of one is written, I just can't remember if it's the 28th or the 29th. **_

_**To each and every one of you who reviewed the first chapter, I owe you all metaphorical fic cookies. I'm so sorry I can't seem to get my act together on this one.  
**_

_**Like always, I appreciate feedback!**_

_**Challenge News: **__There is an update in the guidelines for the TV Prompt Challenge! Sienna and I decided we'd welcome any pairing and we're just going to divide the stories into different C2 communities. Moreover, in the same post (there's a new forum topic about it) there are instructions as to how to post a link to your story. If you're confused, don't hesitate to message me or sienna27 and we'll do our best to help you out. But please, if you've written for the forum/challenge or are planning to, please go take a look at the guidelines. We'd really appreciate it._


	3. December 28, 2009

December 28, 2009

---

Derek paused momentarily in his step as he noticed Penelope standing by his desk. It wasn't often his Baby Girl stepped out of her lair and the fact that she'd come all the way to the bullpen apparently _not_ around for JJ or Emily was also abnormal.

"Mama," he greeted with his most charming smile. "What brings your gorgeous self to our bullpen?"

"Well, my hunk'o'chocolate beauty," she began, weaving her fingers together. It was one of her most blatant signs of nervousness. "I figured it was about time I revealed myself to the poor, poor misfits of our world."

Derek didn't believe her for a moment. He simply arched an eyebrow at her as he took a seat.

"Okay, okay. I'm worried. What if Hotch doesn't come back?"

"What if he _what_?" Derek asked in shock. "What if he doesn't come back?" It had never, even for a moment, considered that Hotch would not be returning to the Bureau. Hotch needed the BAU the same way the BAU needed Hotch. Even Derek probably wouldn't have felt comfortable taking the unit chief position without having access to Hotch. Even as it was, Derek had started spreading the usual paperwork Hotch had picked up between the team. They were preparing for his return.

"He's got Jack, Derek. He may not want to come back," Penelope said.

He snorted, hiding his newfound fear that maybe Hotch really wouldn't be coming back. "There's no way Hotch isn't coming back."

Penelope shook her head. In Hotch's shoes, she knew _she_ probably wouldn't return to the Bureau. He'd just lost his wife, ostensibly because of the job he did, and he was now a single parent to a five-year-old. Even with Emily around to support him. Emily couldn't be there when they were on the road and what was Hotch supposed to do with Jack? He'd lost so much time with his son that Penelope had a hard time believing that Hotch would be willing to lose anymore because of his job.

"Baby Girl, Hotch _is_ the BAU. If you had been in the room when he chose to step down…"Derek shook his head.

"Jack is a powerful pull," the blond tech argued.

Derek paused, thinking for a while before saying, "Both ways. Jack idolizes his father, Mama. Hotch is Jack's hero."

"His return isn't in the system."

And Penelope would know. She kept an eye on the files of the team, on the paperwork that went through on them. It was how she supported her family, heading off issues before they happened. She sighed and patted Derek's shoulder as she left, no more reassured than she'd been when she'd stepped into the room and leaving Derek with food for thought.

---

Emily shook her head at Jack's hopeful face, unable to hide her chuckle. "No, honey. The deal was two treats, so you have to pick."

They were grocery shopping. She had volunteered to go and Jack had seemed eager to come. Aaron had stayed behind and Emily had to give him credit – and a sweet kiss of approval – for making that choice. Now, Jack sat in the front of the cart as Emily checked off item after item on their grocery list.

For that was what things had become now. Sure, she still had her own condo and once things settled back into a routine would probably make it back there more often, but at this point, with how often she'd spent the night with her boys, it was almost as if their place was as much hers. Not to mention that after spending night after night in Aaron's bed there was really nothing else it could be called. There was definitely nothing official involved, but that didn't matter to her.

"But I don't wanna pick," Jack whined. "I want chocolate and Fruit Loops _and_ ice cream."

"I'm sure you do," Emily replied. "But our deal was for two treats."

Jack pouted from the front of the cart as Emily picked up frozen vegetables. Emily simply smiled down at him as they reached the end of the aisle and headed towards check-out. It wasn't until they were loaded in the car and Emily was just strapping Jack into his car seat that the five-year-old spoke again.

"Em'ly?"

"What is it, honey?"

"Are you going to be around forever?" he asked in his little, innocent way.

A million answers raced through Emily's head. Did she want to be there forever? Heck yes. She'd wanted forever with Aaron long before she'd even met Jack and now that she'd met him, she wanted forever even more. But Jack was five and she didn't want to give him false hope. There was still the chance that things between her and Aaron wouldn't work out and she didn't want to tell Jack that yes, of course she'd be around forever when she wasn't sure that was the truth.

"I don't know," she finally settled on, stroking a hand over his head and kissing his hair.

"You gotta stay around forever, Em'ly," he told her solemnly. "I don't want you to go away too."

He was looking for a promise, a promise Emily wasn't sure she could give him. "Well, how about this: I'll be around as long as you and your daddy want me to be, okay?"

Jack seemed to think about it for a minute, then he looked up at her with eyes that reminded her so much of Aaron. "I want you to be around forever, Em'ly."

Emily smiled and kissed his head before closing the door and moving around to the driver's side. She sighed as she started up the engine, looking back at Jack who had immediately started singing along with the radio.

_I want to be around forever too_, she thought to herself as they drove off towards home.

---

Aaron stroked his hand up and down Emily's sweatpant-covered thigh. They were on the couch, Emily's legs thrown over his, her head pillowed on his shoulder. "Derek came to visit me today."

"Oh?" she returned, looking up at him.

"He wanted to know if I was returning to the BAU."

Emily carefully kept her face neutral. If she was honest with herself, Aaron returning to the Bureau had been a topic she'd been studiously avoiding. She had no idea how Aaron felt about leaving Jack behind and she didn't want to influence him either way. The decision as to whether or not he was returning to the BAU needed to be his decision alone after weighing all of the factors.

She knew Jack was a huge pull, and rightfully so. Aaron was the only parent Jack had left and the last thing the poor little boy needed was to lose another parent. Plus, she knew Aaron regretted how little he'd been around in Jack's life and she really wouldn't have been surprised if he chose to leave the Bureau to be able to make up for lost time with Jack. At the same time, she knew all about the drive, all about the need to keep doing the job. They all had it. They all did their job to bring something good to the world, to feel like they were helping other generations, other people. More than that, she knew the drive was slightly different for JJ and Aaron. They did their jobs to make the world safer for their children.

The new year was coming. She knew that was the deadline for Aaron to make his decision. Jack would go back to school in January and their BAU team was back on rotation starting January second. Things were going to have to go back to whatever new normal was going to follow Haley's death.

"What did you tell him?"

"I couldn't give him any straight answers," Aaron admitted. "I don't know, Emily. I'm a single parent with a young son, I shouldn't be traveling as much as the job requires."

Emily filed away the fact that he'd said 'shouldn't'.

"And I'm a workaholic. There's always so much to do."

She waited making sure he'd said all he'd wanted to at that particular moment. "Aaron, I told you a month ago that we would be with you, every step of the way, no matter what you decided. I meant it then, and I mean it now. If you want to stay home with Jack, I understand that, and the team understands it too. If you want to come back to the Bureau, Derek has already started breaking up the paperwork between us so you won't be working as hard. The team is prepared to step up."

She put her hand on his cheek, meeting his eyes seriously. "This isn't an easy decision to make, I know that, but whatever you choose, you have to be okay with it. It has to be a decision you make for yourself alone, not because we _need_ you."

Aaron sighed. If he'd expected Emily to make his choice easier, he'd been dead wrong. He still didn't know what to do. He was terrified that going back to the Bureau would change him into the father he'd been when Haley had been alive. But now, Jack didn't have his mother. He only had his father and part of Aaron knew it was necessary for him to step up and be the kind of father he wanted to be.

But Derek had also made some good points. He had also mentioned that the team was starting to pick up the slack, starting to do some of the paperwork he'd done on their behalf. It had changed their rhythm and a little bit of their workload, but everyone didn't seem to mind it. In fact, Reid had been utterly shocked at the amount of paperwork Aaron had picked up so his team could focus solely on the profiling.

More than that, Derek had said that the Bureau was in his blood. There was no doubt in his mind that it was, and now that Jack had seen his father in action, Aaron knew that part of his drive for the Bureau was to ensure his son kept the same theory about him. Aaron was Jack's hero. Aaron made the bad guys go away, and that was as much as his son could understand. What was he going to be to his son if he stepped down?

"I don't know," he repeated, this time into her hair as he pulled her close.

"It's a lot to think about," Emily agreed quietly. "And it probably doesn't help that you know you have to make a decision soon."

"If I go back, I become Unit Chief," he pointed out, pulling her body tighter against him. His relationship with Emily was now also one of the things that was floating around in his head when he considered returning to the Bureau.

"Aaron, that's a bridge we'll cross when we come to it. We're both good at our jobs, we know that, and I trust you in the field," she said. Right now, he just needed her utmost and unwavering support. "This, whatever is between you and me," she paused, thinking carefully. "Don't let what's between us dictate your decision, okay? I'm going to be here for you, no matter what."

He blew out an explosive sigh that had her turning her gaze up to him in concern and confusion. "What did I do to deserve you?" he asked quietly.

The part that scared Emily about that was that she knew a good portion of him believed that, believed that he didn't deserve her. "You were you," she responded quietly. "And despite the stoic face you put on for the team, I know you're a compassionate, caring man. Look at Jack. Look at the team. We're loyal to you because of who you are, and nothing else."

He leaned down and kissed her and even as he pulled back, he felt no closer to his answers than he had when Derek had knocked on his door.

* * *

_**For the record, this chapter counts over 2000 words prior to this author's note. Cool hey?**_

_**And I made a decision. Instead of stressing myself out by trying to catch up, I'm going to write as the story paces itself. I know tomorrow is New Years Eve (or it is tomorrow in my time zone) and in theory, the last chapter should go up tomorrow, but as by dearest, most darling sarramaks can attest to, I have had terrible trouble with this chapter, and with the one I'm off to write now. Though, the one for the 30th, most of it is written and the 31st shouldn't be too difficult, so we'll see. My ultimate goal is to have them all posted before I head back to school.**_

_**And on the going back to school note, I'm going to do a quick poll. For those of you who are reading my other works in progress, which one should I attempt to finish first? I really should focus on one thing at a time and I really need to not start a new one. So, I turn to you to determine which story I should finish first.**_

_**I think that's my entire story other than hoping you guys are still with me and that you'll review!**_


	4. December 29, 2009

December 29, 2009

---

"Remind me again why _I _have to be here?" Reid whined childishly from his seat on Derek's couch.

Aaron shook his head as he and Dave took a seat on the other of the two couches in the room, all facing the TV. Derek had invited them all over for the World Juniors. Emily had convinced him it would be a good idea to get out, to spend some time with the boys before having to ring in the New Year. She wanted him to have some good memories of 2009, and he recognized that. So, he'd dropped Jack off at Jessica's and headed to Derek's. Emily had headed to JJ's.

"You need some exposure to popular culture, Reid," Derek replied, his tone no where close to patient. "You need to see some sports, get a feel for guy stuff."

"I lead a perfectly happy and content life without sports," Reid protested. "I don't need sports!"

Dave chuckled. "They will never learn, will they?"

"It works for them," Aaron replied, taking a swig from the beer bottle in his hand. He wasn't much of a sports buff, but he had a feeling that it wasn't so much about the sports as the company that the guys had been so gun-ho on.

"Hmm," Dave said. "And what would work for you?"

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "What are you asking me, Dave?"

"I'm asking you how things are. How is Jack?"

"Jack is good," Aaron replied quietly, unwilling to interrupt the bickering Derek and Reid were doing. It was always a source of amusement for the team and this time was no different. "He's… adjusting."

"So are you," Dave replied. "Nightmares?"

"Sometimes, for both of us."

"And Emily?"

Aaron knew that was what Dave was really looking for. Jack was a cover, though he also knew that Jack was of a concern to the team. "She's… been staying with us."

"Every night?" Dave asked, unable to keep the surprise from tingeing his voice.

"Most of them," Aaron allowed. "Your help for her Christmas gift was… invaluable."

"I take it she liked it?" Dave said with a smirk. He'd known the minute Aaron had mentioned the book to him that Emily would absolutely _love_ it. He'd been more than happy to help find it.

"She… That's probably an understatement." It was an understatement. Of the extreme form. And from the expectant look on Dave's face, he was waiting to hear more. "Dave, just come out with it."

"You two looked pretty cozy at the rink a couple of days ago," Dave replied, sipping his beer.

"We're… taking baby steps," Aaron answer, deliberately under the exclamations of Derek and Reid.

"It's a good way to start," Dave agreed. "Are you ready for it?"

Aaron sighed heavily. "I don't know," he admitted. He dropped into silence as Dave started yelling at the screen with Derek and, much to his own surprise, Reid.

Finally, Dave settled back against the couch again. "I once told you that you needed to start holding onto the light in your life with both hands. If Foyet should have taught you anything, Aaron, it should have been that life is too short for 'maybe's. Emily is that light in your life."

Dave fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. "Haley would have wanted you to move on, Aaron, not just for you, but for your son."

* * *

Penelope squealed at a vase as they surfed the website of their favourite home boutique store. There was an online sale that had just started, but Penelope had been able to get in an hour before opening. They'd been surfing for hours and while JJ and Penelope had made a handful of purchases a piece, but Emily hadn't settled on anything. Half of her couldn't remember what her apartment looked like because she'd been spending that much time at Aaron's place.

"Chica come on!" Penelope exclaimed, laughter in her voice. "You have to get something. This sale will never happen again"

Emily sighed. She was trying, really she was, but everything she saw she immediately related back to Aaron and Jack and instead of thinking about whether it would look good in her apartment, she kept thinking about how it would look in _Aaron's _apartment. It was a few clicks before Emily let out an appreciative sound.

JJ raised an eyebrow. While it was a beautiful baby blue fleecey blanket, it wouldn't match anywhere in Emily's apartment. Emily used jewel tones, classic white, black and dark reds, blues and greens. The blanket would stand out in her décor, no matter where she put it. Emily, on the other hand, was a little wrapped up in a different world with a little brown-haired boy wrapped up in that soft blanket. She could picture Jack cuddled in her lap, wrapped up in that blue, smelling like baby shampoo and baby soap.

Penelope wasn't about keeping her opinion to herself. "It's fuzzy and probably warm, Em, but it doesn't match anything in your apartment."

Now that Penelope had opened the door, JJ piped up with, "And you already have a million blankets, more than you could really ever need."

Emily blushed.

Penelope outright squealed. "This has everything to do with how cozy the two of you looked skating, doesn't it!"

JJ was smirking from the other side of Penelope and Emily felt her cheeks heat with a redder blush. "You did look rather content skating around, holding hands."

Penelope gasped. "This is better than I thought!" she exclaimed. "I take it he liked whatever you gave him for Christmas then?"

"What did you end up giving him?" JJ inquired, the sale now forgotten in the pull of gossip. The team had been watching Emily and Aaron together since Haley had walked out with Jack and they had seen this coming long before Emily and Aaron had really stepped up to the plate.

Emily mumbled her answer and both blondes raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," Penelope said with a shake of her head, "I missed that."

"I gave him a drawing," Emily answered, this time a little bit louder.

"Like by an artist? I didn't know Hotch was into art," Penelope said.

JJ was smirking. With the amour of time she and Emily spent together on the road, JJ had become rather accustomed to Emily's rather artistic doodles. "He does when he artist is a woman he's attracted to." She would have gone with loved, but figured Emily still wouldn't quite be accepting of that particular fact just yet.

"You drew him a picture?" Penelope asked with awe. "Bypassing my lack of knowledge about your artistic abilities, you are so head over heels, my vision. What did he say?"

Emily knew there was a sweet smile floating over her face, but there was nothing she could really do to stop it.  
Penelope's grin was dirtier. "That good huh?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "So what happened?"

"He hugged me," Emily answered, trying to downplay what came after. The blondes watched her expectantly and Emily sighed. She was starting to see that her friends weren't going to drop the subject anytime soon. It was probably just going to be easier if she fessed up to the whole thing now instead of letting them make their own conclusions. "He gave me Little Women."

"The book, I hope," JJ joked.

"Hardcover, embossed... Probably cost a small fortune," Emily agreed. "So I kissed him."

Penelope's eyes bugged out of her head. "You kissed him?"

"I couldn't think of another way that would effectively express my gratitude," Emily defended. "And he didn't seem that against it at the time."

"He kissed you back?! Jayje, this is better than anything we could come up with in a million years," Penelope gushed.

"And now?" JJ asked. They had seemed really cozy at the rink, but the media liaison also saw them talking seriously against the boards.

"Now..." Emily replied, "we're playing things by ear."

---

"That can mean a number of things," Dave said.

Aaron sighed. "We're taking it slow."

"Because of who?"

Aaron had to think about that for a moment. He knew a big chunk of it was for him. He still carried guilt for Haley's death and probably would for the rest of his life. At the same time, he knew that it was because of that guilt that Emily wanted to take it slow. She wanted to make sure things would work between them, at least for a little while. He didn't want to hurt her, just like she didn't want him to hurt her. And neither of them wanted Jack to get caught in the middle. But he didn't want her to be his dirty little secret either, he didn't want her to live in a kind of limbo because of what had happened with Haley. He wanted to put that guilt aside, really he did, and Emily had gone a long way at diminishing the absolute guilt that usually overcame him.

"Both of us," he finally said.

"Probably a good idea," Dave agreed. "You just lost Haley, Emily's afraid Haley's will always haunt you."

Aaron had to sigh. "She will always be a part of me."

"And Emily understands that much," Dave allowed. "I think she's just worried you're going to let Haley consume you."

"Haley stopped consuming me when the divorce papers were filed," Aaron admitted. "My guilt isn't about loving her, it's about forcing her into a position where she was killed. I haven't been in love with Haley for years."

"I know that," Dave responded. "But the question is whether Emily does." The elder profiler paused. "I think that whatever you guys are going through, whatever you decide to do, the fact that you have each other isn't just good for you and for Jack, but for Emily too."

Aaron found himself chewing his cheek. "How deep is she, Dave?"

"As deep as you are," Dave replied immediately. "You can't lie to me and say you don't love her."

"I can't say I do either."

---

"We all see it," Penelope said, the first serious comment she'd had through the entire conversation. Her niche was the light-hearted one, the one who ensured that nothing became too serious. "You and Hotch... your relationship is different. It always has been, from day one. He went to _you_ when we had that case in Milwaukee. It was _you_ he leaned on after New York. It was _you_ who supported him when Haley walked out, _you _who went to find him and, for goodness sakes, Em, how on earth can you deny it when you were the only one who he would actually talk to after Foyet drove Haley and Jack underground."

"Em, Hotch and I are close, you know that," JJ spoke up softly. "And Hotch... it may take time but he does love you. I think you know that."

"Even if I do," Emily replied, keeping the same volume as JJ had, "that doesn't change much." She sat back, away from the computer screen. "I can't deny that I want the white picket fence, that I want the permanent and oh-so-illusive 'forever' with him. I do, I really do. I'm just... I'm also realistic. It's not going to be any time soon and I recognize that." She could feel the blush rising over her face. "Call me a glutton for punishment, but having him this way is better than not having him at all."

"I don't think you'll be waiting that long," Penelope said with a snort of amusement.

JJ reached out and squeezed her best friend's hand. "I'm glad you're getting this opportunity," she said quietly. "If any one deserves the chance at happiness again, it's you and it's Hotch."

Emily smiled, understanding what JJ was saying and truly hoping that maybe, just maybe 2010 would bring less hardship than 2009.

* * *

**_I can say with the utmost confidence that I hate this chapter. Which, really, is okay, because I absolutely adore the next chapter. _**

**_I owe the greatest of thanks to Sarah on this one. Honey... I owe you the world right now for helping me out with this idiot of a chapter. As I'm sure you can tell, I still didn't get a handle on it (so much so that I'm actually terribly uncomfortable posting it the way it is, but I can't do anything with it and trust me, I have tried), but thank you for all of your help in trying to make this work._**

**_So the next chapter is pretty much completely written, I just have to tweak a few things at the end. Thus, it should be up tomorrow. Then there's the 31st and the New Year and I'm done this one!_**

**_Reviews are like drugs and I can't get enough of 'em. So please drop me a line, even if it's just to let me know you're reading._**


	5. December 30, 2009

December 30, 2009

---

_There was blood on his hands, wet, warm blood and it took him time to realize what was going on. The woman in front of him had been stabbed, was bleeding profusely and he couldn't, and knew he wouldn't be able to stop. His heart stopped as he looked up into dark eyes. This wasn't his usual dream. This wasn't Haley dead beneath him, that he could take because he had dreamt it so many times. He felt his breath come short, grasping her hand tightly in his own._

_"Don't you dare, Emily. Please."_

_The laugh was familiar and he felt his blood run cold as he realized he couldn't save her. He hadn't been able to save Haley, and now he wasn't going to be able to save Emily. Foyet stood above them both, his grin wide, his eyes glowing as Aaron suffered, watching the light in Emily's eyes diminish._

_"Aaron…"_

_"No, Emily, don't let go. Stay with me please."_

_"Aaron!"_

"Emily!" He jolted awake with the yelp, sitting bolt upright in his bed. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving with the effort, but he was only like that for a moment. There was a hand on his back, then another one around his neck, and he felt himself breathing in the fresh scent that seemed to follow Emily everywhere.

"Aaron, calm down," she said quietly, her hand rubbing up his back as the first tears hit her neck. "Breathe please, or you're going to make yourself sick."

The worry and concern in her voice was enough to permeate his mind into complying and he tried to take deep breaths. Shakily, Aaron wrapped his arms tightly around her, as tight as he could.

"Okay," Emily murmured. "It's okay. Everything is okay."

It took him twenty minutes to calm down and Emily stayed wrapped around him the whole time. She was whispering in his ear, saying whatever came to her mind as she continued to stroke his back. Eventually, he loosened his hold slightly and fell back to the bed. Emily stayed looking down at him with curiosity and concern. His hand was shaky as it came up to cup her cheek.

"What happened?" she asked almost rhetorically before pressing a kiss to the palm of his hand. He'd told her a few times what the dreams were about, but he was usually quite vague. This time, he just shook his head. She sighed before hunkering down against him, putting her head over his heart. His arm immediately came around her, holding her to him as he twined their legs together.

"He got to you," Emily heard, just as she was sure he was falling asleep.

She didn't look up at him, aware that he probably wouldn't be looking at her. "Foyet?"

His hand tightened on her side and it was enough of an answer. "It wasn't Haley," he told her, voice just above a whisper. "It was you."

Emily shivered. She was an agent, sure, and she knew how to take care of herself, but she wasn't sure she would have ever been able to survive an attack by Foyet. Aaron had only survived because Foyet wanted to see him suffer. She shifted until she was lying over him, shoulders, to hips, their legs still entwined.

"He can't come after me," she told the man beneath her as her fingers stroked his face. "You made sure of that."

His arms wrapped around her, hugging her close as he could. He breathed her in, that scent that had been his comfort for so many late and difficult nights. He liked to think that he had come to believe her, that he knew Foyet was gone, but apparently it wasn't anywhere close to that easy. On the other hand, his subconscious seemed so used to protecting those he cared about that the dream had come to surface.

Emily smiled slightly as she felt him kiss her head. She'd known he was having nightmares, but this was the first time that she knew of where she'd played any sort of a starring role. He didn't usually talk about them and when he did, they were always about Jack's death, or his own. It was always reliving the experience of seeing Haley, dead on the floor. This was the first time he'd told her a dream about seeing _her_ die.

It humbled her somewhat, that a man like Aaron Hotchner would get so worked up by his dream, by watching her get hurt. Because Aaron, though he cared about his team, did so from a distance. He tried to make their lives easier any way he could. Then it hit her, almost making her tense up. He'd woken up so out of sorts because it had been _her_ in his dream. It was then and there she realized that maybe, just maybe, he felt as deeply for her as she felt for him. That shot a different kind of thrill through her body, one that made her shiver and his hand immediately stroked her back as her body trembled slightly.

Keeping her new revelation in mind, she pushed herself up slightly, just enough to realign their bodies so she could kiss him. She'd meant for it to be a sweet kiss, one that kind of conveyed her new discovery and comfort him, but Aaron's breath immediately caught in his throat and Emily realized that maybe things were still too raw for this to have been a good idea. Aaron's hand came up behind her neck, holding her in place as he kissed her with an abandon she hadn't felt from him before. Both of them were always so conscious about the fact that the guilt of Haley's death still hung over Aaron's head and they'd kept things innocent because of it.

This was miles past innocent.

His tongue parted her lips and Emily squeaked as he rolled them over, pinning her to the mattress beneath him. Her back arched automatically as his thigh pushed down between hers, his hands snaking beneath her to her lower back. He pulled her body against his with one hand, as tightly as he could, while the other trailed up her side, over her shoulder to her neck. He adjusted slightly, fitting them together completely as his mouth plundered hers. It was partially shock at the passion and partially complete and utter enjoyment of the fire he lit in her body that had Emily simply surrendering to Aaron's every whim. And why it was such a shock when he all but ripped his own t-shirt when he lifted it over her head.

"Aaron," she gasped as the cold air hit her body almost in tandem with a thumb stroking her breast. His eyes were dark, glazed with need and lust and Emily had to force herself to focus. She gripped his wrist, the one stroking the soft skin of the side of her breast and pulled it up to kiss his palm. "Aaron stop."

"I don't want to stop," he replied, bending and taking her in his mouth.

She gasped and her back arched, her hand coming up to the back of his head. _We can't do this_, she repeated in her mind, trying to keep her attention. "No," she repeated, tugging on his hair, aware that her voice was a little less than convincing. He was doing amazing things to her body and she certainly wasn't a saint.

"I want you," he cajoled, even as he came back up to kiss her mouth.

She could tell. She could feel it. But that didn't change things. If they were going to do this she had a list of criteria. He needed to accept that Foyet was gone, for one thing. For another, he needed to get his own life back on track and get back into a regular routine with his son. Jack, who had been in senior kindergarten in September, needed to be enrolled in school again and Aaron needed to decide whether or not he was coming back to the Bureau. And that didn't include the fact that Emily wanted to make sure their first time was about _them_, not about reassurance and fear.

"I want you, too," she promised, her hand coming up to his cheek, unable to resist kissing him again. "But now is not the time."

Yet, he couldn't think of a better one and he distracted her again with hands and lips and tongue, thrilling at the moan she released as he laved the hollow of her collarbones, as he sucked gently on her pulse, as his hands played over her breasts. Her legs opened to accommodate his hips and he outright gasped as he slid against her. She was so warm around him and his hands stroked down to the waistband of her pajama pants. She gasped into their kiss as his fingers inched under the elastic and he thrilled at the reactions he got from her.

"Aaron, we have to stop," she said, pressing her hips against the bed instead of helping him remove her pants. God, her body wanted him more than anything. _She _wanted him more than anything. Emily forced herself to take a deep breath as her fingertips stroked his cheek. "I'm here, Aaron, alive and well and _fine_. I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon." Especially not with her newest revelation of how deep his feelings ran. She sighed, her gaze darting away. "I want this to be special, Aaron. I want our first time to be something special." Because at this point, she wasn't sure she was ever going to find someone else whom she felt for like she did him.

Aaron took a deep breath as he settled more comfortably against her, his head coming to rest on the pillow beside hers. He wanted her. He wanted to reassure himself that they were both alive, and safe. Yet, he also knew he had to abide by her wishes. He wasn't about to force her into something – though he was sure if he could distract her long enough he wouldn't be forcing her to do anything – so he tried to calm his racing heartrate, a difficult task with her half naked beneath him, her hands running over the skin of his back beneath his shirt.

Emily lay there, periodically pressing a kiss to his cheek, his head. She listened to their breathing ease

Finally, he kissed her cheek, then a sweet kiss to her lips. "You're going to need a shirt."

"I wasn't the one who almost ripped it getting it off of me," she said wryly with a roll of her eyes. He climbed out of bed, digging in his drawers for another new t-shirt for her. This one had FBI printed on it. She laughed as she slid it over her head.

"Is this supposed to be a deterrent?" she asked with a raised eyebrow as she curled up on her side, her body still heated from moments before.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, climbing back under the covers and facing her.

She shook her head. "Don't be sorry. I understand. I just don't want either of us to confuse comfort and fear with sex."

He nodded his head. She wanted sex to be something good between them, and now, slightly more detached because of the space between them and the passage of time, he could see her logic. Aaron could understand how Emily would want their time together to be something to remember. He was also kind of touched by that. He focused on her again when she reached out to twine their pinkies together. A sweet gesture so they were touching without the added undertones of their actions moments before. It connected them without the heavy sexual implications of cuddling.

Her eyes started falling closed, though Aaron stayed awake, unable to stop his mind whirling and unable to take his eyes off of how relaxed her body was in sleep. He smiled gently before moving closer, his body having calmed enough to arrange her against him.

He fell asleep, assuaged at least for now that she was right beside him.

* * *

_**So... how many of you are unsatisfied with the fact that they DIDN'T jump each other? As I mentioned to Sarah, I'm debating putting up a little side-post where they do sleep together, let me know. **_

_**And Jessie, hon, I'll get to work on our little deal ASAP. I just want to finish this one before I start anything new. And really, I shouldn't be starting anythign new, but we both know it's only supposed to be six chapters, so we'll run with it.**_

_**I hope you guys enjoyed it!**_


	6. December 31, 2009

_**TV PROMPT CHALLENGE WRITERS: **quick note (that you can skip if you're not following the forum, etc) again. So the new guidelines have been posted and there's a new community for all of the stories that do not focus on Hotch/Prentiss or JJ/Rossi. We're accepting any pairing now, as well as friendship or whatever else you want to write. If you want to take a crack at writing something in the fandom and you're not sure what, pop over to the challenge and see what you can find. Maybe something there will spark an idea or at least your interest._

_Happy writing and I shall hold you back no longer!_

* * *

December 31, 2009

---

Aaron stared at Haley's grave marker.

He wasn't sure he'd even wanted to come. A lot of the emotion surrounding Haley's death, regardless of Emily and Jack, had only been buried. Sitting at her grave, it all came rushing back. Yet, he knew that being here, staring at his ex-wife's resting place, was something he had to do and by the way Emily had looked at him at the breakfast table that morning, she very much understood.

His mind was a whirl of emotions, suffocating him with their intensity. Aaron knew that adjusting was going to take time and putting off the big decisions he had to make really wasn't going to help. He'd truly been hoping the answers would just come to him. He hadn't been that lucky. Jack, Emily, the BAU… he really wasn't sure what to do about any of it.

_One step at a time_, he heard Emily say in his head. So, with a deep breath, he closed his eyes and forced his mind to take one track at a time.

His thoughts automatically fell to Jack first. There was no doubt that there had been a few hiccups in the last month with Haley gone, but Aaron liked to believe that Jack was adjusting to life without his mother. He hadn't acted out, and even his crying jags, while painful to watch, had been fewer than Aaron had expected. His son still got sad, especially when they did things that Jack and Haley had done together, but all in all, Jack was okay. He'd be starting back at school in the New Year and Aaron had found a nice place that wasn't too far from home. It was a half-day kindergarten and he'd even had Penelope do a quick background check of all of the staff, just in case.

Which led him to track two.

The Bureau had been a big part of his life for years. The prosecutor's office had simply been unsatisfying for him, too far after the fact to feel like he was really doing much to help. He'd wanted to stop the criminals and so, he'd gotten into the FBI. The BAU had been Dave's doing, the elder profiler snatching Aaron out of one of his behavioural classes while he was on SWAT. He enjoyed his job, there were no two ways about it. There was real satisfaction in catching the UNSUB, a thrill when the profile was spot on. His team was the best, his family and they'd proven that, but he didn't want to miss any more of Jack's life either. He wasn't sure that going back to the BAU would allow him to be there for Jack now that he was his son's only remaining parent.

There was no doubt in his mind that if he chose to return to the BAU he would be taking the unit chief position again. It wasn't that Derek wasn't doing a good job – quite the opposite, actually – more that they just didn't work that way. Derek didn't want the unit chief job, at least not yet, not now that he'd experienced it first hand, and Aaron could respect that. Plus, their rhythm had been odd at the beginning of the switch and he knew the rest of his team, his _family_, waited anxiously for the days when things would be back to normal. Aaron had no doubt that someday, Derek would be an excellent unit chief, but he also knew that today wasn't that day.

Being Unit Chief, however, had other implications that he needed to consider. Most specifically, he knew his relationship with Emily would be affected by whichever decision he made. If he stayed, they'd be stuck dealing with fraternization issues and even though Aaron knew a handful of relationships that had started on the job and worked just fine, he knew that their team was going to be watched like hawks when he returned and he didn't like the idea of Emily being under the microscope anymore than he enjoyed it himself. But if he didn't return to the BAU, their relationship was going to take a hit anyway. It was different seeing the same things on a daily basis and being told about them. He had no doubt that Emily wouldn't do it out of protection, per se, just a need to keep him upbeat, happy and lighthearted.

And he was sure now that he wanted it all. In fact, it was the only thing he was truly sure of. His dream had proven to him that losing her would probably break him just as terribly as he'd been broken when Haley had walked out. Emily was dynamic, she was strong, she was beautiful and she was loving. She loved his son and he knew, even if she'd never said it, that she loved him. They only problem was that he wanted to be able to give her everything. Emily deserved every part of him and even though she'd been taking on the burden of his guilt since Haley's funeral, it wasn't fair to her in the long run to have to fight the memory of a woman he hadn't been in love with for years.

Aaron ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. He'd hoped being here would calm his mind, focus him, allow him to see with startling clarity exactly how to balance everything. Instead, his gut was presenting him with decisions that would require a feat of acrobatic ability if he wanted to make it all work.

He looked up as a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.

"I figured I'd find you here," Emily said quietly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Jack and I were getting worried."

Aaron looked around. "Where is he?"

"I dropped him off at JJ's. She was happy to watch him until we got there and Jack seemed just as excited to get the chance to play with Henry," she replied, her thumb soothingly stroking the side of his neck. The team was congregating at JJ and Will's to watch the ball drop. "Did she help you figure things out?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "I'm coming back to the BAU," he told her softly.

"I know," she answered after a moment and Aaron was struck with the thought that she'd known he was going to make that choice all along. "I know you," she continued, a smile in her voice. "The BAU is in your blood, just like each and every one of us." She paused again. "We'll make it work, Aaron. You don't have to do any of this by yourself."

His hand came up to squeeze hers, hoping that she meant things between them as much as he knew she meant balancing Jack with his work. "I appreciate that."

"We're your family," she admonished. "You need to start believing that."

"I do," he answered. "It just takes time to sink in."

She chuckled, a low sound that despite the solemn melancholy that was characteristic of a graveyard, warmed his insides. Emily squeezed his shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

Aaron took a deep breath, then released it. "Yeah." He stood, taking her hand and pausing a moment to look at Haley's grave.

Emily followed his eyes, focusing on the loose dirt. _I'll take care of him,_ she promised Haley's memory, squeezing Aaron's hand. _Both of them.

* * *

_

Aaron smiled as he made his way back to JJ and Will's living room. He'd just poked his head in on Jack and Henry, both of whom had fallen asleep hours ago, long before being able to ring in the New Year. They were curled in JJ and Will's bed, the picture of complete innocence as Jack slept with a hand on Henry's stomach. Aaron wrapped his arm around Emily as she held out a wineglass of champagne.

"They're good?" she asked quietly.

"Still completely out," he replied.

Her hand rubbed his back slightly. "And he was so excited to stay up."

"Peek-a-boo can be exhausting," JJ piped up, sitting on the couch beside Will. Reid was on Will's other side, Dave perched on the arm beside the media liaison. Penelope and Derek shared the other couch while Emily and Aaron chose to stand. Aaron felt the warmth in his blood, the comfort of having his family around him. He didn't feel lonely, didn't feel like the world was crashing down around him like he had assumed it would following Haley's death. He allowed his fingers to trail along Emily's hip.

Silence fell in the room before Penelope said, "Let's talk resolutions."

"You first, Mama," Derek cajoled squeezing her shoulder from where his arm rested on the back of the couch.

"I have decided," Penelope began triumphantly, "That I am never going to stop telling my family how much they mean to me." She met each of their eyes in turn. "We've been through so much in the last year and I realized how important it is to make sure the people you love know."

"We love you too," JJ said, tears having flooded her eyes.

Penelope smacked Derek with a sniffle. "Alright Hot Stuff, your turn."

"I have decided to make someone's life easier every day," Derek replied haughtily. His eyes met Aaron's and the undertone wasn't lost on the once-and-future Unit Chief.

JJ took the next turn, vowing to spend more time with her family. Will got laughs and 'awe's when he vowed to get JJ a proper engagement ring. Reid, at Penelope and Derek's insistence - because he didn't believe in making resolutions - resolved to get out more, a resolution that set the room alight with laughter. Dave promised to start taking advantage of life's opportunities, aiming for less regrets in his life. Then the circle came around to Emily.

"I promise," Emily began quietly, her head falling to Aaron's shoulder where he inhaled the scent of coconut and flowers, "to focus on the happiness of tomorrow and what the future holds and try not to dwell on what has happened in the past."

Then, it was Aaron's turn and he found himself watching as the crowd in Times Square got rowdier as the clock drew closer and closer to midnight. He had a whole bunch of resolutions he'd made for himself and had actually written them down on a piece of paper he kept tucked firmly away in his box of tax receipts. But he knew he only had to share one and as he filed through the list in his head, one popped to the forefront. "I vow to never forget that I have a family," he said quietly. Emily squeezed his side slightly her smile watery but radiant.

"Damn right you do," Dave said passionately as the crowd in Times Square started counting down to midnight. Dave raised his glass. "To 2010, a year filled with happiness and family."

"I'll drink to that," Derek agreed heartily, clinking his glass with Penelope's. The countdown started just as they lowered their glasses, anticipation thick in the room as New York counted down the last 10 seconds of 2009. Emily tilted her head towards him as they hit the last five seconds, the last three numbers a brush of his breath against her lips.

3...2...1...

Aaron's lips met hers in a kiss just the right side of proper for public. He smiled down at her, his thumb drawing absent circles on her hip before he turned to accept good wishes from Penelope.

"Happy New Year!" Penelope exclaimed, kissing Aaron's cheek and hugging Emily tightly. Emily chuckled, leaning down to kiss Reid's cheek, then progressing to Dave. Eventually, she returned to Aaron's side and as the rest of the team continued to celebrate, Aaron pulled Emily out of the room. He wanted a few moments with her, away from the prying eyes of the team. When he stopped, he pulled her close, kissing her again, this one less innocent and chaste than the one he'd bestowed upon her in front of the team.

She was breathing heavily as he pulled away. "Hmm… Happy New Year to you too," she said lowly.

He smiled, taking in the sparkling pink of the crown Penelope had plopped on her head the minute they'd walked in the door. "I wanted to talk to you," he told her softly.

"About?"

His hand came up to cup her face in his palm, his smile falling away with the seriousness of the moment. He'd come to another conclusion while he was driving back to his apartment, dropping off one of the cars before heading off to JJ's. Haley wouldn't want him to feel guilty, at least, not to the point where he wouldn't be able to love again. Dave had been right, Haley would have wanted him to love again, to show his son that even when people got hurt, they picked themselves back up and built around it. Emily had been integral in the adjustments he and Jack were continuing to make and would probably be making for some time. He really couldn't imagine what his life would be like without her in it.

"I can see myself falling in love with you, Emily," he told her quietly, eyes intense, thumb stroking her cheek. "I'm not there yet, but it's a distinct possibility."

Emily understood. The guilt still haunted him, and as long it was a strong fixture in his emotional mind map, he wasn't going to be able to love her the way he defined it. But she knew he would try, not just because she wanted him to, but because he knew, he'd learned and he understood that while he could probably do it all alone, it was more memorable and more fun when he had someone else. And while she knew she was in love with him, she replied, "I'm falling in love with you too."

"I know," he told her as he kissed her again, unable to stop himself. "And I don't know why."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Okay, buster, we're going to make a rule that you're not allowed to question my feelings," she told him, voice stern, but eyes soft.

"I'll put that on my list of resolutions," he promised, actually giddy with the thought of a new year, a clean slate, and the people that meant the most to him. Eventually, he knew, he and Emily would build something more. Eventually, if everything went well, she'd be a permanent fixture in his life, and in the life of his son.

And Aaron could feel it, 2010 was going to be a good year indeed.

* * *

**_Now THIS, I am incredibly happy with. I did it by hand, which was my first excellent choice of the day, and it just flowed out of my fingers. My brother was making fun of me when we were playing Yahzee tonight because I was typing it on my iPod as I was playing to try and keep my thoughts moving. _**

**_Okay, I know I'm going to regret this, but I'm going to say it anyway:_**

**_I'm willing to keep playing in this universe. Yeah, you read that right. Even after I've said a million times that it's such a bad idea for me to start something new, I am willing, for you guys, to keep going in this. ON ONE CONDITION! You guys have to tell me what you want to see. I have a couple of ideas floating around and I know there's a handful of you out there that want to see Emily's first case back and Hotch's first case back and how they deal with Jack while being away, but I have other things too. The plan is to set it out as a series of oneshot glimpses, but I'm going to kind of try and keep it within a year so that I can plan them out and just write them in chronological order. _**

**_I'm taking suggestions as well. If there's something you guys would like to see, let me know in either a message or a review and I'll work it in._**

**_Now, I'm not suggesting I'm going to start it immediately. I do want to see if I can get something else done before I delve into this one, but knowing me, my life doesn't work that way. I have a moving one floating around in my head right now because Emily's been staying with the boys and everything and if it doesn't get out of my head by the time I get out of the bathtub, I'm going to write it out. _**

**_This one is done. We hit New Years, we hit midnight, the kiss... So there is nothing more to do here. Thank you so much to all of you who have been following this and who followed HCW. I appreciate all of your reviews and everything you've said, even if I've been a little lax lately in getting back to you. _**

**_Drop me a review and I'll see you next time!_**


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